The Kingsport Axmen won Game 1, 15-2, and Game 2 by a final score of 11-4 in their doubleheader against the Johnson City Doughboys.
In Game 1, the Axmen scored two runs in the first inning on a Kendall Diggs’ two-run infield single.
Kingsport then took a commanding 11-0 lead, after scoring nine runs in the bottom of the second. Gunner Gouldsmith reached on a fielding error that scored home Mayes White, Sam Petersen hit a two-run single, Diggs hit another two-run single, Shea McGahan had an RBI walk with the bases loaded, White hit a two-run single and Aaron Casillas singled home McGahan.
After a scoreless third inning, the Axmen continued to pour it on with a four-run fourth. Petersen reached on a fielding error that scored McGahan, Ian Riley singled home Gouldsmith and Corbin Shaw hit a two-run single.
Diggs had a four-hit game and both Gouldsmith and White recorded three hits.
Johnson City scored two runs in the top of the fifth, but it wasn’t nearly enough to catch Kingsport. The Axmen won by 13 runs, which is now their largest margin of victory of the season.
Kingsport starting pitcher Cole Hales (5-1, 3.95 ERA) picked up his fifth win of the year. Hales had a very efficient outing. He threw six complete innings and allowed just two earned runs on a total of 77 pitches.
In Game 2, Kingsport once again had a 2-0 lead after the first inning. Nate Anderson scored on a pickoff attempt throwing error and Diggs scored Jake Perry on an RBI sacrifice fly.
The Axmen (33-14) added three more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-0 lead. Logan Poteet hit an RBI double, Anderson singled home Poteet and White singled home Anderson.
Anderson went 2-for-4 with a walk, two stolen bases and two runs scored in the second game of the doubleheader.
The Doughboys (23-24) fought back to get within one run after scoring in three straight innings. Johnson City scored one in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth inning.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Kingsport re-gained a five-run lead over Johnson City with a four-run inning. Payton Allen singled home Perry, Henry Hunter brought home two runs on a fielder’s choice and throwing error and Poteet singled home Hunter.
Poteet went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
The Axmen added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on an Allen RBI single and a Poteet RBI single.
Kingsport relief pitcher Anthony Imhoff (2-1, 4.29 ERA) was the winning pitcher in each of his last two appearances. Imhoff finished with 2 2/3 innings pitched, allowed one hit, no runs, one walk and three strikeouts. Imhoff has thrown 8 1/3 innings since his last allowed run.
Up next, the Axmen look to complete the three-game series sweep over the Doughboys on Thursday night at Hunter Wright Stadium.
